Beer, Breweries,
and Breweriana
of Upstate New York

WELCOME

Welcome to my Web Site dedicated
to the history of some of the legendary breweries of upstate New York,
particularly the regions around Buffalo and Rochester.

My interest in these breweries
dates from 1968 to 1972, when I lived in Ithaca. During that period,
the large national breweries were consolidating their hold on the market
and many small regionals bowed to the market pressures and folded.
I was fortunate in that I had an opportunity to sample some of the distinctive
local beers from that region, including Topper, Iroquois, and Simon Pure,
all of which closed shop prior to 1973. Another regional favorite,
Genesee, was sold in late 2000 to an investor group and reorganized under as the
High Falls Brewery. And Utica Club, another local that I enjoyed, is
still in operation as a craft brewer, marketing the popular Saranac brands.

During that same period, I
began collecting regional breweriana and, over the years, have amassed
quite a number of items from upstate New York breweries.

On the following pages, I will
present brief histories of some of the more historically significant breweries
of the region, as well as photos of some of the more interesting breweriana
from my collection and from the collections of some of my friends and fellow
collectors.

So sit back, relax, and drink
a cold glass of one of your favorite local brews. Thanks for visiting
and have a good time.